


kismet

by angstchild



Category: NU'EST
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, side BaekRen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 09:43:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28597905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angstchild/pseuds/angstchild
Summary: Jonghyun never really understood the idea of soulmarks. That is, until he finally got his own. A series of mishaps, high school dramas, and weird encounters with Hwang Minhyun ensue.
Relationships: Hwang Minhyun/Kim Jonghyun | JR
Comments: 29
Kudos: 79





	1. Chapter 1

Jonghyun’s eighth birthday was pretty uneventful, or so he had thought. His mother insisted on holding a small celebration for him and even suggested inviting some of his classmates, but his shy, timid self dismissed the idea. Instead, he just chose to spend his special day with his family.

It happened after dinner, while he was reading the comic book that his sisters gave him as a present. He was almost halfway through the story when he felt a burning sensation on his left chest. He originally disregarded the pain, thinking that it was just a bug bite. Yet, the pain radiated the more he stayed still, so he immediately stood up and ran to the bathroom. 

His eyes drifted down to his chest after he removed his t-shirt. As he stood in front of the mirror, he saw a tiny crescent moon sitting just below his collarbone, its black ink painting what was supposed to be his tan, unblemished skin.

He had heard of tales about soulmates and soulmarks before. His parents got theirs as a bow and an arrow, both painted in blue. He witnessed how his sisters freaked out when they got their soulmarks, both of them searching the internet on what soulmarks might be compatible with theirs. According to several theories, the marks were originally painted in black and will only get its color once you have met your soulmate.

Jonghyun barely understood why his sisters were so hyped about their soulmarks before, but it really was different the moment he got it. 

_A moon._ Jonghyun thought. His fingertips traced the pattern carefully, still enthralled over his mark. 

***

Jonghyun’s fascination over his soulmark died down when he entered high school. School works have piled up and being one of the top students in his batch, the expectations for him to do good were higher. 

It didn’t mean that he completely disregarded his soulmark. In fact, he developed a habit of looking at it in front of his mirror every night. It seemed absurd to him, how he established this enigmatic connection to a mere mark on his skin. But during tough times, he would unknowingly touch his mark and assure himself that everything would be fine.

His habit would also manifest whenever he hears someone from their batch telling their friends about their soulmark, just like that one morning when he found himself listening to his friend’s ramblings when he was supposed to be reviewing for their midterms. 

“I got my soulmark.” Mingi said, his voice laced with excitement and happiness. “It’s on a weird spot though. It’s on my hip! How would I know that I finally met my soulmate?” 

Jonghyun had to stifle his laugh before Mingi could glare at him. “Hey, I’ve read some theories about it. They said that you’ll also feel the burning sensation when you meet your soulmate.”

“But they’re all theories, Jonghyun. Theories.” Mingi emphasized. “And for your information, I did not feel any burning sensation or pain at all. I just woke up and lo and behold, it’s already there.” 

“Then your soulmate must be so considerate of you.” Jonghyun replied. Years have passed but the sensation is still fresh in his memory. It was definitely unpleasant, but he’s looking forward to the next time that he would feel it.

“So, what’s your mark?”

“It’s a flower. Maybe a lily?” He wondered. “Honestly, I still don’t know what it is so I’m planning to search the internet later. I should’ve paid more attention to our biology class.” Mingi sighed exasperatedly. 

Jonghyun smiled at his friend before resuming back to his notes. Perhaps he should be thankful that his soulmark is so obvious that he won’t have to stress himself out just to identify what it is. On the other hand, having an obvious mark isn’t a big of a deal, especially when fate finds its ways against you and your soulmate. 

Before he’s completely absorbed in studying, he faintly heard Mingi murmuring about his hopes of meeting his soulmate without any complications. Jonghyun did not comment on it, but he also thought of the same.

***

The teachers fawned over Jonghyun when he became a class president in tenth grade. Mingi would tease him as the ‘teachers’ pet’, and Jonghyun would smack him every time he used that nickname. He’s not one of the popular students in school like Jaehwan, who won the grand prize in a regional singing competition. Nor was he like Dongho, who has a horde of girls and boys cheering for him for being the soccer team’s captain. 

Still, he was sought by his teachers and classmates when they needed a hand. It’s no wonder that he was asked by his chemistry teacher to help the science club for their annual science fair. 

Two pairs of curious eyes peered at him as he opened the door of the supposed-to-be vacant club room. Ms. Kwon had instructed him to do the task after class hours so people wouldn’t be using the room. 

“May I help you?” The taller of the two asked as he stood up from his seat. He was wearing a white t-shirt, with a huge _Let’s have a moment of Science_ written in the middle of it. Well, if Jonghyun had any doubts that he entered the wrong room, they all vanished the moment he read what’s on the shirt.

“I was asked by Ms. Kwon to help her in organizing the things needed for the upcoming fair.” He explained simply. 

Recognition flashed on the taller’s eyes. “Oh, you must be the help that Ms. Kwon mentioned to us. I didn’t know it would be you, Jonghyun.” He took a few steps closer to him and offered his hand, which Jonghyun politely shook. “I’m Hwang Minhyun.”

Their greetings were interrupted when the other student rose up from his seat and slung his bag over his shoulder. “Great! Now you have someone to accompany you.” The other student exclaimed. He then made a beeline towards the door, stopping just a bit to whisper to Jonghyun. “You’re a lifesaver.” 

Before he could even reply, the person had already left the room. Jonghyun was still staring at the closed door when his attention was brought back by Minhyun, who sighed loudly after witnessing how his friend had abandoned him.

“I’m so sorry for that. I was begging Jinyoung to help me, but it seems like that kid is still irresponsible to handle club activities.” He shook his head and offered Jonghyun a seat before returning to his own.

Jonghyun scanned the room. Pieces of science-related posters and projects were displayed on all four corners, four tables were put together to create a bigger table, and several stacks of paper and a laptop were placed in front of him. Surprisingly, everything seemed in order. Jonghyun expected the club room to be a lot worse, to the point that they needed a hand from an outsider. 

There’s also Hwang Minhyun, who for some reason knew his name. Jonghyun had seen him several times towering over other students by the hallways, so he’s quite sure that they’re both sophomores. Yet, both of them haven’t talked to each other before this—they were never classmates and simply because there was no reason to—so Jonghyun wondered how the guy knew him.

Several pieces of paper from the stacks were handed to him, and Minhyun briefed him on what he was supposed to do. He was tasked to review the different exhibitions that will be shown during the fair, as well as tracking the equipment that they needed so it could be provided beforehand. At the same time, Minhyun plans the arrangement of the booths and encodes the information from Jonghyun. 

As he pondered over the amount of tasks at hand, Jonghyun couldn’t help but ask. “Are you the club president?”

Minhyun stopped typing and looked at Jonghyun as he shook his head. “Me? I’m not. I’m the vice president, but our president is in her final year so she’s too busy to handle the event alone.” He cracked his knuckles and leaned back on his chair. “Even the freshmen are having their exams right now, so the science club is currently short on manpower.”

Jonghyun nodded in understanding. The tenth graders don’t have anything huge at the moment, so it made sense that Minhyun had to do most of the planning. It didn’t help that most of the club fairs that were held that year were exemplary. The science club was expected by the students and the administrators to maintain the bar set by the other clubs. 

Working with Minhyun wasn’t awkward at all. It’s on Jonghyun’s nature that he would really focus on a task if he was given one, and Minhyun seemed like a perfectionist too—aiming to finish their works as soon as possible. There were several moments where only the sound of the air conditioner and the cleaners along the hallways could be heard, but Minhyun would initiate small talks from time to time. He even joked that Jonghyun should teach him sometime after knowing that he is a member of the math club. When Jonghyun couldn’t understand what the exhibitions meant, Minhyun would stop what he was doing and explain them to Jonghyun. For someone who had met for the first time, they worked really well together.

The sun had already set and a security guard even reminded them of the time, but the two decided to finish the task tonight. It was almost seven in the evening when they completed the last exhibition. With tired eyes and growling stomachs, they cleaned the room and gathered their belongings.

“Thank you for helping us. You’re supposed to be at home three hours ago but you were stuck with me instead.” Minhyun said while they were walking down the stairs. 

Jonghyun chuckled and assured him. “Don’t worry about it. It was nice meeting you and I’m glad I was able to help you.”

“Yeah,” Minhyun replied, his hands gripping the straps of his bag. “Hopefully this won’t be our last meeting.”

It was a chilly night, and Jonghyun cursed himself for not dressing warm enough. He was planning to run to the bus stop after parting ways with Minhyun at the gate, but the latter insisted on dropping him off the bus stop instead. 

“You’re not obligated to help us… well, _me,_ but you still did it. Take this as a small token of gratitude.” Minhyun reasoned as he patted Jonghyun’s head. “Lead the way.”

Jonghyun had no heart to reject Minhyun, yet he also felt guilty for taking Minhyun’s time, especially in this harsh weather. He tried to change Minhyun’s mind several times, but Minhyun would just gently push Jonghyun forward for all of his attempts. 

They bid their farewells when the bus arrived. Jonghyun thanked Minhyun for accompanying him, while Minhyun thanked him for his help. He was on the steps of the bus when Minhyun suddenly shouted.

“Hey, Jonghyun! You’ll visit the fair right?” He said with hopeful eyes.

Jonghyun should be saying no, since it was also the day that Mingi and him scheduled their visit to the arcade, but he nodded even before thinking of the situation. 

“Of course. I’ll see you there, Minhyun.”

***

“So, this is the reason why we had to cancel our gaming day?” Mingi grumbled while Jonghyun dragged him on the school’s courtyard. Numerous booths and tents were set up and a lot of students were also filling the place. 

“We could reschedule our gaming day, Mingi. This is a once a year event.” 

“I knew you were a nerd the moment you said you love math, but I did not expect this.” Mingi scoffed and crossed his arm. Jonghyun shushed him in return.

Although he had been whining ever since they entered the fair, Jonghyun noticed that Mingi was also amused by the activities and exhibitions prepared by the club. They were in line for the Earth exhibition—one which Jonghyun literally begged Mingi to visit because of his weird fixation with dinosaurs—when someone called him from afar.

“Jonghyun! You came!” Minhyun said as he waved towards them. He was standing in front of the Universe exhibition. Jonghyun hesitated to leave their line for a moment, but Mingi had already grabbed his arm and walked to where Minhyun was.

When they came closer, Minhyun also recognized Mingi and greeted him. “Oh, it’s been a while, Mingi.” 

“Minhyun! It’s nice to see you again.” Mingi replied, waving his hand vigorously.

“This event is going well, I think this is even better than what we’ve expected.” Jonghyun said as he scanned the place. He remembered that there were several activities planned for the fair, but most of them posed a problem or two, especially with the set-up.

Minhyun agreed and briefly roamed his sight around him. He then looked back at the two and asked. “Are you enjoying the fair so far?”

Both students nodded their heads. “I don’t want to admit it but I’m not that good in science, so me appreciating the fair says a lot.” Mingi added, which left the three of them laughing. 

The moment was cut short when someone inside the Universe exhibition called Minhyun, and he was dismayed that he had to say goodbye to the two so quickly. “I have to go now. Visit all of the exhibitions, they’re amazing.” Minhyun smiled and ran inside the gallery.

The two students decided to go back in line for the Earth exhibition. While waiting, Mingi elbowed Jonghyun, which resulted in a glare and a puzzled look from the latter.

“You did not tell me you were friends with Hwang Minhyun.” Mingi said with a look of betrayal.

“I did! Remember when I told you that I have to stay after class because Ms. Kwon asked me to help the science club? I was with him that time.” Jonghyun replied defensively. 

“You told me you were helping the science club, but you did not tell me you were with someone.” Mingi elaborated. 

Jonghyun sighed in defeat. He did not tell his friend that he was with Minhyun that day since he thought it was not a big deal. And as far as he was concerned, Mingi was not interested in the said guy. 

He thought the conversation was over when they entered the gallery, but Mingi lightly smacked his arm to grab his attention. “So, what’s the deal between the two of you?” He asked with a meaningful gaze.

Knowing what’s going on inside his friend’s mind, Jonghyun immediately dismissed the idea. “What? We’re just friends, Mingi.” He claimed as he stared at his friend before focusing on the different artifacts in front of him, completely dropping the topic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been debating whether to post this fic for a while, but writing this has been my coping mechanism this semester. So,,, here we are.
> 
> This fic was heavily influenced by 2hyun's daybreak and for the most part, I was just letting my imagination run wild. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Their tenth grade passed by like a blur. The rest of the months seemed dull to Jonghyun, and maybe it was because he focused so much on studying. If not for Mingi, he would probably wallow inside his room after every class. It was also thanks to Mingi that he got to know a lot of information about the lives within the campus, though they were mostly irrelevant.

To say that Jonghyun and Mingi’s personalities are different was an understatement. Mingi, being the social butterfly that he is, dragged Jonghyun with him literally everywhere. Jonghyun would usually decline whenever he invited him to sports matches, but Mingi reasoned that he currently has hots for someone in the soccer team, which earned a raised eyebrow from Jonghyun. He was not surprised when he found out that his friend has a crush on Dongho, and he only hoped that his friend would not have his heart broken by the guy.

What shocked Jonghyun was when the two began dating just before summer vacation started. He received a message from Mingi saying that he scored a date with Dongho. It shouldn’t be that hard for Mingi, really, considering how fatally charming he is. After the date, Mingi called him and talked about the details, from the moment he saw Dongho in front of his house—in which he commented, “ _He’s so old school but why do I find that attractive?_ ”—until the part where Dongho took the bus with him on the way home. 

Jonghyun could sense how blissed his friend was over the phone. He could imagine a blushing Mingi rolling over his bed just from recalling the happenings from their date. Just when he thought that nothing could get even better for his friend, Mingi dropped the bomb.

“Actually, that was not the reason why I called you.”

“You mean we’ve spent almost an entire hour talking about your date and now you’re telling me that was not the reason?” Jonghyun chuckled. He plopped himself down on the bed, knowing that it would be a long conversation.

“You wanted the details!” Mingi retorted. “Anyway, I was showering just before I called you—”

Jonghyun thought about how Mingi would run out of the shower just to make a call—something his friend would definitely do—and he couldn’t stop himself from cutting his friend off. “Hold on, did you even rinse properly?” 

Mingi gave an amplified gasp, feeling offended. “Of course I did! I scrubbed myself twice, by the way.” He added. “As I was saying, I was showering when I saw my soulmark, and it’s really hard to believe, but it’s now colored.”

After hearing the news, Jonghyun immediately sat up and congratulated his friend. Although Dongho did not seem like someone who would hurt people, he still had doubts if Dongho was serious and as attracted to Mingi as his friend was. Turns out, fate really brought them together.

That night, hours after he ended the call with Mingi, Jonghyun fell asleep thinking of his own soulmate. 

***

Jonghyun intended to arrive earlier than usual during the first day of classes. He usually does this so he could claim a good seat, away from the back row since it’s usually a turf for some squad, and near the board so he could see clearly. That year was no different. Although he sacrificed his breakfast for his mission, he sighed in relief when he saw that only a couple of students arrived earlier than him.

“Looks like we’re classmates.” 

Jonghyun was on his way towards the seat beside the window when someone spoke behind him. Startled, he halted his steps and turned around to meet Minhyun’s eyes. 

“Oh, it’s nice to see you again, Minhyun.” Jonghyun replied and smiled in return. He continued walking towards his chosen seat and as he hung his bag on the chair, he stared at Minhyun who was standing in front of the empty seat beside his. 

“Is it fine if I take this seat?” Minhyun asked. Jonghyun was confused as to why he had to ask his permission, yet he still nodded. Minhyun grinned and dropped his bag. “I was hesitating whether to sit here or not since I wasn’t sure if you’re planning to sit next to Mingi or someone.”

Jonghyun assured Minhyun that it was fine and that he was delighted to know that they’re classmates. Truth to be told, he was a bit dismayed when he heard from Mingi that they were assigned to different sections. It’s not like Mingi was his only friend since he’s also close with the gamers from their batch, but Jonghyun’s closest buddy is Mingi. He was perturbed by the fact that he could end up in a class not knowing anyone, so it was a nice surprise that Minhyun was with him.

Out of nowhere, a growling sound resonated inside the barely-filled room. Jonghyun’s ears flushed red as he curled himself in an attempt to stop his stomach from growling. He didn’t have the guts to lift his face, knowing that the people inside the room heard him clearly.

Just then, a loud staccato laugh filled the room. He uncurled himself a bit to look at his seatmate, who seemed to be enjoying his embarrassment. 

“Don’t tell me you didn’t eat breakfast?” Minhyun questioned as he noticed the smaller peering at him. 

“I wanted to secure a good seat. It’s a valid reason.” Jonghyun weakly defended. He’s completely aware that missing his breakfast was not ideal, but he thought that one day wouldn't hurt. Although, it seemed like he underestimated his digestive system.

Minhyun laughed again before turning away to Jonghyun and rummaging his bag. After a while, he pulled out two rolls of kimbap and passed one to Jonghyun. 

“Actually, I also have the same thing in mind so I arrived an hour before the first class. I honestly didn’t expect to see you here, though. Don’t you think it’s destiny?” Minhyun jokingly said as he removed the foil around the kimbap.

Minhyun might have said the statement harmlessly, and he might have done the action with friendly intentions, but Jonghyun did not know why his heart raced. 

_Could it be?_ He thought as he swiftly brushed his fingers on his chest, right where his soulmark lies beneath the uniform.

He was sure that it was not possible. This was not the first time that he met Minhyun, and during their first meeting, he did not feel any pain. To add to that, his soulmark is still painted in black. He hasn't read anything about liking someone who is not your soulmate, but if it’s what’s happening, then lady luck must’ve cursed Jonghyun.

Still, it’s not like he could completely avoid Minhyun before everything goes out of hand. He calmed himself down and started taking his things out of his bag, making a mental note to search about his doubts later.

The classes had started and though most of them were just introductions, some instructors had started teaching the lessons. Jonghyun would normally focus on the lectures, taking notes nonstop. This day was unlike his other days, since his mind was pretty occupied by the student seated beside him.

Minhyun is definitely likable and attractive. His easy-going personality was the reason why Jonghyun even became friends with him. He also has this mellow voice, and it had been a talk among their batch for quite some time that he also sings well. As for his looks, there’s no need to debate over it since it’s definitely a game over. His height alone could swoon girls and make guys jealous—Jonghyun included.

His eyes travelled down from the board and to his notebook, which was still bare and free of any scribbles. He sighed and convinced himself that he was just overthinking and that he should snap out of it or else he would fail this semester.

***

The two became inseparable ever since they became classmates. It was not like they had intended to, but it seemed like the teachers thought that it was a good idea to put both Jonghyun and Minhyun in every pair activity that they have. 

Jonghyun would still meet up with Mingi during lunch, but the latter would be with Dongho most of the time. To his surprise, he became friends with Dongho after the two became official, yet Jonghyun didn’t want to ruin their time together. Thus, he spent most of his time staying inside the classroom. 

Most of his classmates ate at the cafeteria and only a handful usually stayed inside the classroom, either finishing an assignment or sleeping. Jonghyun mainly slept after his quick visits to the cafeteria, but then there was a time when Minhyun arrived fifteen minutes before the lunch break ended and saw him there.

At first, Minhyun was worried that Jonghyun may have fallen ill, but Jonghyun reasoned that he was just unoccupied and he would feel bad if he kept on being a third-wheel between Mingi and Dongho all the time. Since then, Minhyun would arrive fifteen minutes before the next class. The two of them would usually talk about the lessons and exchange notes, but there were also times when they would just chat about games and the current drama that Minhyun wouldn’t stop rambling about.

There were also instances when Jonghyun had to do some of his duties as the class president—which baffled him on why he was elected again—so he had to go back and forth between their classroom and the faculty room. He just has to talk about approval forms and classroom funds most of the time, but Minhyun would always accompany him because he has nothing left to do. Jonghyun believed that it was because Minhyun wanted to ditch the lectures once in a while, which the latter vehemently denied. 

Being the class president meant that he was also an errand boy from time to time. Just like the previous year, the teachers would ask small favors from him. It didn’t bother Jonghyun that much, except for when he had to carry heavy boxes because he was not blessed with a good physique. Still, he wouldn’t complain and ask for help unless he really needed to. 

Apparently Minhyun, who became Jonghyun’s shadow, started to grab the heavy objects from Jonghyun whenever he had to carry them. At first, Minhyun would tease Jonghyun about his lack of exercise. This would always result in Jonghyun trying to retrieve the things back and failing. After several instances, they later became used to Minhyun carrying the things while they walk together.

Jonghyun was glad that he befriended Minhyun. They weren’t close enough to the point that they know each others’ secrets—a thing that Jonghyun and Mingi has. On the other hand, they’re close enough to know each others’ moods, talk to each other nonstop during breaks, and even knowing small details like Jonghyun’s hatred for tomatoes and Minhyun’s avoidance to dairy products. 

Their friendship is something that Jonghyun treasures, and it’s the main reason why he wanted to keep things between them platonic and pure. The last thing he would imagine doing is ruining their friendship simply because he harbored feelings for the latter.

It was easier said than done. There were still several situations where his heart would beat faster just because of something Minhyun did so naturally, like the way he would buy him a bottle of water after every gym class even if he didn’t ask for it, or the way Minhyun would kindly console him every time he felt bad after a quiz, ruining his good looks by making silly faces in his attempts on cheering him up.

What messed up Jonghyun’s feelings even more was when he unknowingly asked Minhyun about his soulmark.

“Why did you choose the science club?” Jonghyun asked as he spun his pen on his hand, watching Minhyun who was busy writing in front of him. 

It was their free time and although most of the students would just play and chill, Minhyun dragged his chair towards Jonghyun’s table and decided to finish his assignment in calculus. Luckily, Jonghyun had finished his last night and volunteered to help Minhyun (with the intention of checking his answers too).

Minhyun’s hands hovered on the calculator as he stopped and turned to Jonghyun. “I haven’t thought of it to be honest,” He uttered. “I think it was after I got my soulmark? I’ve been fascinated over astronomy ever since I got it.”

Jonghyun did not want to pry, but he was also curious. “What’s your soulmark?”

Instead of replying, Minhyun rolled up his right sleeve. Just above his elbow, there’s a trail of stars that was painted in black.

***

Jonghyun’s blossoming feelings towards Minhyun was a growing dilemma. Reading several articles and researches didn’t help because most of them contradicted each other—some said that it was possible to fall in love with another person that’s not your soulmate, while some opposed it. There were also some sites that were just plain weird, just like that one organization against soulmates that Jonghyun stumbled upon.

Having a close friendship with Minhyun didn’t really help, especially after he saw Minhyun’s soulmark. The idea of his moon and Minhyun’s stars being related to each other doesn’t sound too far-fetched. But at the same time, his black-inked soulmark is still a clear reminder that Minhyun is not his soulmate.

After dwelling on the idea, it wasn’t long before he decided to call Mingi for help. Mingi chortled when Jonghyun explained his situation.

“I told you so.” Mingi mocked and Jonghyun would definitely hit Mingi the next time they met.

Being the oh-so-helpful friend, Mingi suggested that Minhyun should join them for lunch tomorrow for research purposes. Jonghyun hesitated if that was a good idea; Minhyun also has a lunch group himself and he doesn’t want to bother him. Also, nothing good comes out of Mingi and his _researches_. Still, Mingi insisted that it would be a one-time thing and that Dongho, who apparently was also close to Minhyun, missed him.

The next day, Jonghyun made several attempts to ask Minhyun about Mingi’s idea, but he either stuttered a lot and in the end chose to dismiss their conversation, or someone would interrupt them. It dragged on until it was already time for lunch, and a deflated Jonghyun had accepted the fact that he would receive a smack from Mingi for not dragging Minhyun with him.

Before they left the room to head to the cafeteria, Minhyun grabbed his wrist and stopped him from going out. “Something’s bothering you.”

Jonghyun was still hesitant to ask Minhyun and was about to make up some excuse, but he saw the determination and concern in the latter’s eyes. Knowing that he had no choice, he blurted his question out. “Do you mind sitting with us for today’s lunch? By us, I meant me, Mingi, and Dongho. Dongho apparently misses you.”

“Uh, sure? I mean… I would love to, but I don’t want to impose, especially to Mingi.” Minhyun answered.

Jonghyun sighed in relief and smiled at him. “Mingi was actually the one who invited you. Also, I’ve been their third-wheel for quite some time and maybe dragging you there would tone down their cheesiness.” He cringed a bit as he remembered how the two would normally treat each other. Jonghyun was starting to get immune with their cheesiness, but then Mingi would overdo it sometimes just because he wanted to tease Jonghyun.

“But wait, wouldn’t your lunch group mind if you’re not eating with them?” Jonghyun asked when he remembered Minhyun’s friends, his smile vanishing. 

It was Minhyun’s turn to smile. He shook his head and patted Jonghyun’s. “It’s no big deal. We see each other all the time for choir activities anyway.”

He then stepped aside and motioned for Jonghyun to lead the way. “Let’s go?”

They walked side by side towards the cafeteria. After getting their lunch, they headed straight to the table where Mingi and Dongho were already waiting for them.

“Hey lovebirds,” Jonghyun greeted the two as he sat next to Mingi. Minhyun automatically took the seat beside Dongho, who welcomed him with a bear hug. 

“I didn’t expect that meeting your soulmate would literally change you.” Minhyun commented as he frowned at Dongho after the hug. “You know it’s hard to deal with the kids alone. I can’t believe you left me with Seonho.”

“You’ve been using me as your shield whenever Seonho wants to smother you. It’s my payback for all those sufferings.” Dongho replied and munched on his lunch. 

Feeling the eyes on them, Dongho and Minhyun stopped bickering and turned towards Mingi and Jonghyun, who both looked confused and lost. 

It was Minhyun who decided to explain the situation. “You see, we’re both part of the choir. Although, Dongho has more work to do because he also composes some of our songs for competitions. The upside of that is he gets a free pass whenever he skips our practices. When he attends though, we handle the freshmen and the newbies on the choir.”

“In short, we’re the babysitters.” Dongho interjected.

“Then who is this Seonho that you’re talking about?” Jonghyun asked.

Dongho guffawed and sneakily pointed his chopsticks towards the table where most of the choir members sat during lunch. It didn’t take too long for Jonghyun to know who Seonho is. As he peered at the choir members, he could spot a student who draped himself on Jaehwan and was trying to grab his slice of pizza.

Their attention was brought back by Minhyun who sighed loudly and Dongho who patted his friend’s back. “It seems like Minhyun charmed Seonho ever since the kid joined us. He would cling to Minhyun every time he has a chance.”

“It feels good to be liked by others, but my back suffers every time Seonho requests for a piggyback, and it’s not like he’s tiny too.” Minhyun said.

Jonghyun felt sympathy towards the taller. To console him, he silently passed the cherry tomatoes from his salad to Minhyun’s plate, which the latter gladly accepted and ate. 

The small exchange between the two didn’t escape Mingi’s hawk eyes. 

“Hey, you could join us anytime you want to, Minhyun.” Mingi suggested and smiled innocently, _too innocently,_ Jonghyun observed. He knew that his friend must be up to something. 

As if Mingi’s statement wasn’t enough, Dongho even added, “I know you missed my presence too.”

Minhyun just rolled his eyes at Dongho’s comment. He was then harshly pulled by Dongho who whispered to him, “You can use this to escape Seonho once in a while.”

The taller removed Dongho’s arm and talked to Mingi instead. “Can you please ask your soulmate to lessen his conceitedness and to use less force on me?”

The two in front of Minhyun laughed at him. “He just misses you so much. Can’t you see?” Mingi cooed at Dongho and Jonghyun automatically turned away. It was Dongho and Minhyun’s turn to laugh.

“But seriously, I would love to join you guys next time. It feels like a breath of fresh air.” Minhyun beamed. 

The four continued to eat after their chaotic conversation. Mingi brightened the mood by dropping several stories. Jonghyun was glad that their lunch break went really good, well, except for that one time when Minhyun commented on how Mingi and Dongho don’t do the things that couples usually do. The two explained that it was because Minhyun was there, but since he noticed, the two started to show their normal antics. 

Jonghyun, who was used to it, turned to look at Minhyun who was looking at the soulmates in horror. 

“I told you they’re so sappy to each other.” 

“You mentioned that, but I didn’t know it’s up to this point.” Minhyun answered while pointing towards the two. Dongho was cleaning Mingi’s lips with a tissue, and Mingi was pinching Dongho’s cheeks in return.

The two classmates just shook their heads as they waited for the couple to finish their show.

***

Jonghyun was playing Overwatch when his phone vibrated. Thinking that it was just a text from someone who’s asking about their assignment, he ignored it at first. It was due to the flood of messages afterwards and the annoying buzzing sound that forced him to open his phone.

 **mingi (´ ꒳ `** ✿ **)**

hey 

jonghyun

bff

kIM JONGHYUN

DONT IGNORE ME READ MY MESSAGES

NERD STOP STUDYING AND TALK TO ME

OH URE READING MY MESSAGES NOW

**nerd bff 🤪**

STOP SPAMMING I WASN'T STUDYING

and what do you need me for?

**mingi (´ ꒳ `** ✿ **)**

how’s our double date? ;--)

**nerd bff 🤪**

*lunch break

i told you to stop using that emoji it’s creepy

and there’s nothing going on between me and minhyun

**mingi (´ ꒳ `** ✿ **)**

yea yea i heard that line before too

so are u guys a thing now or what?? i can feel the sexual tension earlier ngl

jUST SPILL THE TEA

**nerd bff 🤪**

we’re just friends?

tbh we’re really just friends mingi

idk why you’re pushing your agenda

**mingi (´ ꒳ `** ✿ **)**

henlo?? i’ve been with u when u were having lunch dates with ur five friends

aND I NEVER SAW SOMEONE SO HAPPY JUST BC U GAVE THEM TOMATOES

may i remind u that u just passed all of those lycopene to minhyun earlier??

u rly do like him huh

**nerd bff 🤪**

i can’t believe you used the word lycopene

i’m so proud of you ; _ ;

btw me giving those tomatoes isn’t the basis of whether i like someone or not

**mingi (´ ꒳ `** ✿ **)**

but u said u like him tho 🤔

**nerd bff 🤪**

i said i think i’m having a teeny tiny crush on him

**mingi (´ ꒳ `** ✿ **)**

awww u are so cute :”)

dont wanna get ur hopes up but i think he likes u too *winks*

It was at that moment that Jonghyun decided to close his phone again. It took him a lot of thinking to accept the fact that he might have developed a small crush to his friend, and admitting that to Mingi was an even harder choice. Mingi might have said those words to cheer him up, but it was also those words that reminded him not to fall in the pit of delusion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a product of me having breakdowns bc of my courses and me crying over nuest. Anyways, there was a lot to unpack but yay for some progress haha (and yeap, side baekren bc theyre qties)
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

The middle of the semester was usually when school events were scheduled one after another. Several sports competitions were in season, which meant that Mingi and Dongho had less time to meet each other. It was also the season when the performing arts club scheduled several plays one after another, a tradition that they observe annually. 

Minhyun was the one who broke the news to Jonghyun one morning. Jonghyun was already on his seat when Minhyun arrived and immediately dragged his chair next to Jonghyun’s—a habit that he does whenever they need to do their assignments or when Minhyun has something to tell. 

“I have good news.” Minhyun started and excitedly tapped Jonghyun’s desk. “We’re doing a special performance with the performing arts club.”

“We—who?” Jonghyun confusedly asked.

“The choir members,” Minhyun stated. “It seems like the performing arts club wanted to do a musical this year.”

Jonghyun stopped spinning his pen and lightly gripped Minhyun’s forearm. “Really? I’m so happy for you!” He said eagerly.

“Well, we will only perform two songs, but at least the choir will have an exposure?” He said shyly as he scratched his nape. “You’ll still watch us, right? I mean, Dongho will also be there so Mingi would probably ask you too.”

Never in Jonghyun’s life had he imagined looking forward to a play. But there he was, anticipating a musical made by some of his instructors and several students.

“I’ll definitely watch it.” 

***

Due to soccer and choir practices, Mingi spent his lunch breaks without Dongho. It didn’t bother him that much since Jonghyun still accompanied him. There were still times when Minhyun would eat with them even without Dongho, but those days became a rare occurrence too.

It was Monday when Minhyun sat with them again. Mingi was sullen when he said that Dongho couldn’t join them again, and the two tried to cheer him up. 

It took a few coaxing from the two before Mingi’s mood lightened up. Rather than continue sulking, Mingi decided to ask Minhyun about the choir activities instead, since it was also one of the reasons why he couldn’t see Dongho that much nowadays.

Minhyun then kept the conversation going. Mingi asked several questions about the musical and Minhyun would answer them patiently. Jonghyun, who couldn’t relate, focused on eating his lunch while listening to them.

“No one’s hitting on Dongho, right?” Mingi asked randomly after Minhyun explained how the timing for their practices works. 

Jonghyun snickered and Minhyun laughed heartily before answering. “Don’t worry. I think Dongho is intimidating enough for them to keep their distance.”

Mingi was not fully convinced, mainly because he knew how far Dongho’s admirers could go. “I trust you to keep an eye on those admirers, Minhyun.” 

Minhyun, on the other hand, was totally convinced that Dongho wouldn’t trade his lover for someone else, but he agreed nonetheless. He could hear Jonghyun giggling beside him, so he swiftly elbowed Jonghyun lightly, earning a glare from the smaller. 

Before Jonghyun could react, someone suddenly came up to their table. The man was tall, almost as tall as Minhyun if Jonghyun could correctly estimate. He was wearing a black rimmed glasses, his uniform neatly tucked in, and he was holding a paper bag on his left hand.

“Thank you for lending me the shirt.” The man said, passing the paper bag to Minhyun. “Don’t worry, I washed them.” He chuckled.

Minhyun looked at the paper bag by surprise. Not long after, he shifted his gaze back to the man. “I told you it’s not a bother, Seongwu.” 

“I don’t steal shirts, Minhyun. I just borrow them.” Seongwu replied. He then looked at his watch and his eyes went wide. 

“I only have fifteen minutes to eat. See you later.” The man said and he lightly ruffled Minhyun’s hair as he bid his farewell.

Three pairs of curious eyes followed the direction where Seongwu went. It was Mingi who broke the silence after the stranger left. “Who was that?”

“Oh, that’s Seongwu. A member of the performing arts club.” Minhyun answered nonchalantly, but he could feel his ears heating up.

“He’s handsome.” Mingi commented, which earned him a questionable look from the two. “What? I’m just stating the obvious.”

“Well, he is handsome.” Minhyun agreed. “And he’s also from our batch.”

Mingi gasped exasperatedly, his hand covering his mouth. “Really? How come I don’t see him in the hallways? I’m always there!”

The two shook their heads at Mingi’s reaction. Jonghyun was also intrigued by Seongwu, so he looked at Minhyun quizzically. 

“He told me that he seldom goes out of the classroom. If he does, he’d be with the theater club.”

They resumed eating afterwards, but Jonghyun’s mind was still filled with Minhyun and how his ears turned red when Seongwu paid his visit. Mingi might not have noticed it, but Jonghyun became used to paying more attention to Minhyun unknowingly. Even after the lunch break ended, he couldn’t shrug the heavy weight off of his chest.

***

Their midterms were scheduled a week before the play. Undoubtedly, the rest of the choir and performing arts members from their batch had to work harder to review for the tests while polishing their performance.

Mingi was the one who reached out to Jonghyun first, asking for help in teaching Dongho the lessons that he missed because of the practices.

“I really don’t want to disturb you, but I don’t think I’m capable of teaching Dongho when I also need some tutoring.” Mingi said when he asked Jonghyun during lunch break. 

Jonghyun was delighted to help the two. After all, it’s an opportunity for him to determine if he grasped the concepts well enough that he’s able to teach them to others. It is also normal for him to spend some time with Mingi during his review sessions, since he knew that Mingi would ask him questions from time to time. He thought that Dongho tagging along with Mingi wouldn’t be that much of an issue.

What he didn’t expect though, was when Minhyun came to him the next day and asked him if he could join Mingi and Dongho.

“I started studying yesterday, but I couldn’t understand the lessons that I’ve missed.” Minhyun explained, frowning as he read the notes on his hand. He sighed and dropped the notebook on the table, turning his attention to Jonghyun instead. “I asked Dongho yesterday how he’s doing, and he said that you’ll teach them.”

Jonghyun felt how burdened Minhyun was. From the previous months that they’ve been classmates, he noticed that Minhyun is also one of the diligent students from their batch. If not for his extra-curricular activities, Jonghyun knew that Minhyun could get higher grades than him. 

“You’re welcome to join us,” Jonghyun replied and saw that his friend relaxed a bit. “I don’t want my seatmate to fail just because I’m not a sympathetic friend.”

Minhyun’s mood lightened after Jonghyun’s teasing. They spent the remaining time in silence as they both reviewed their notes. Six minutes before their first period, Minhyun closed his notebook and tapped Jonghyun’s arm. 

“Before I forget,” Minhyun said while fidgeting his fingers. “If it’s fine with you… uh… can I bring someone with me?”

It’s unusual for Minhyun to feel nervous in front of Jonghyun. Most of the time, it was the latter who was jittery and Minhyun would be the composed one. 

“As long as he or she is not a troublemaker, I’m good.” 

“Oh, he’s definitely not a troublemaker.” Minhyun smiled. He tried to ask Jonghyun again if he could handle teaching four people. When Jonghyun nodded, he slung his arm over the smaller’s shoulders and ruffled his hair. “Thank you, lifesaver.”

Jonghyun held his breath during the whole ordeal, praying that Minhyun wouldn’t notice how his cheeks turned red, or how erratic his heartbeat was.

***

Jonghyun booked a study room three hours prior to their meeting time. It was one of those days where the choir members were excused for half of the day, so he had no choice but to send a message to Minhyun, Mingi, and Dongho about the room number.

He wasn’t surprised when he was the first one to arrive. Instead of wasting his time doing nothing, Jonghyun grabbed his notebook and decided to write some problems on the board for them to solve later.

It was the creaking of the door that caught Jonghyun’s attention. Turning around, he was faced with Minhyun, who immediately frowned when he saw the writings on the board. Just as Jonghyun was about to open his mouth, another figure appeared behind Minhyun and tugged his shirt, motioning for him to speak.

“Jonghyun, this is Seongwu, the one that I’ve mentioned before.” He said.

“You could’ve introduced me better.” Seongwu interjected and stepped in front of Minhyun to offer his hand to Jonghyun. “I finally met you! Minhyun wouldn’t stop mentioning you during our practices, so you piqued my curiosity.”

Jonghyun shook his hand in return. “It’s a pleasure meeting you, Seongwu.”

“Mingi and Dongho should be on their way since today's practice ended around five minutes ago.” Minhyun noticed as he checked the wall clock. He walked towards the table and dropped his bag, with Seongwu following suit.

Minutes later, they heard the couple approaching the room. Jonghyun stopped writing and waited for the two to enter.

“Sorry we were—hold on, it’s the handsome guy!” Mingi shrieked as soon as he caught sight of Seongwu and instantly pointed at him.

“Hey!” Dongho cut in and scowled after hearing his boyfriend’s words. Mingi felt the sudden shift of Dongho’s mood and instantly comforted him, wrapping his arms around his lover. 

Jonghyun immediately shushed the two, conscious of the librarian that was roaming outside the study rooms. At the same time, Minhyun coughed as he eyed the soulmates, beckoning them to take their seats.

After the two had settled down, Jonghyun started explaining the lessons that the members of the play had missed. The mood was definitely different from the times that he had taught Mingi alone. Not only that the number of people was different, but he also noticed that his mannerisms were a bit different that day. From being laid-back during his review sessions, he suddenly became severely self-conscious. It’s likely because it was unusual for him to teach Dongho, and more importantly, Seongwu, whom he just formally met several minutes ago.

Mingi, who understood his friend by the back of his hand, tried to lighten up the mood by dropping sassy remarks from time to time. “Why do I need to learn these? I won’t use these stuff when I’m designing anyway."

Seongwu, who was quietly listening to Jonghyun the whole time, immediately dropped his pen and faced Mingi. “I know! What do x and y’s have anything to do on how I create a film or something in the future?”

The other three cracked up as the two students shared the same sentiments. It was quite a scene to witness someone who could handle and match Mingi’s sassiness.

It seemed like Mingi’s attempt on cheering Jonghyun up worked, since he noticed that his friend became more at ease and stopped stuttering while explaining. Even Seongwu, who was new to their circle of friends, talked to them more comfortably, even joking with Mingi from time to time.

They spent almost an hour and a half trying to finish the lessons in calculus. Before moving on to modern literature (the subject that Dongho hates, apparently), they decided to take a break for a few minutes.

“Why are you so smart?” Seongwu randomly commented as he browsed Jonghyun’s notes, making the latter embarrassed.

“Being smart is one thing, but being kind is another thing.” Minhyun replied. “He’s always willing to help others, even the honor students.”

“Makes sense.” Dongho nodded as he joined the two in their conversation. “I mean, we wouldn’t be here if Jonghyun didn’t volunteer to help us.”

The choir members started throwing compliments to their one-day tutor. Jonghyun, who was not good at handling compliments, turned back to the board and started writing instead.

Mingi spotted his friend’s red ears, chuckling as he explained to the three, “That kid gets shy whenever someone compliments him.”

“Shut up, Mingi.” Jonghyun said as he spun around and briefly glanced at his friend. He then turned his attention to the members of the musical. “Just do your best on the midterms and on the play.”

The whole session was smooth-sailing, exceeding Jonghyun's expectations. He knew that the four were serious about studying, but he didn’t expect that Mingi and Dongho would behave, or that Minhyun and Dongho wouldn’t banter like they usually do. 

Seongwu’s personality was also a surprise to him. During their first meeting at the cafeteria, he was a bit intimidated on how Seongwu carried himself. The past three hours that they were together proved that Seongwu was completely different from his first impression of the said man. 

Despite that, Jonghyun couldn’t completely disregard the nagging feeling that bubbled up from time to time. It was the same feeling that he felt when he witnessed Minhyun’s reaction to Seongwu at the cafeteria. While he was explaining, there were several instances where he got distracted by the way Minhyun stared at Seongwu as they were solving the problems, or the way the two of them laughed after they checked their answers. 

“Aren’t you coming with us?” Minhyun asked when he noticed that Jonghyun’s belongings were still scattered on the table.

Jonghyun stopped erasing the board and turned to look at the door, where the others were standing and ready to go. “Oh, you guys can go first. I still have to print some notes and return the key to the librarian.”

Right then, Dongho yawned loudly. Mingi looked at his soulmate with pity. “Aight, Dongho needs to rest so we’ll go first. See you tomorrow, nerds!” Mingi said and tugged Dongho.

“Thank you for the help, Jonghyun.” Dongho added before following Mingi. The three waved at the couple as they left. 

Suddenly, a loud ringing filled the room. Seongwu, who was keeping the door open, checked his phone and took the call. He then stepped outside the room and signaled back to the two that he’ll wait outside.

“He’s a nice guy.” Jonghyun commented after Seongwu had left. He went back to the table and started fixing his things.

Minhyun nodded in agreement, following Jonghyun as he pushed back the chairs. “I felt a bit inferior when we attended the practice for the first time. Of course, it’s their show and we were just there for a special performance. But Seongwu came up to us and helped us adjust through the practices.”

“I didn’t know you’re capable of feeling inferior, especially with that big head of yours.” Jonghyun joked, receiving a light punch from Minhyun when he came closer. “But seriously, I didn’t know that you also had to adjust. I’m just glad that Seongwu was there to save you.”

“Being friends with him was unexpected, to be honest.”

Jonghyun halted his movements and looked at the taller quizzically. “Really? I think you guys complement each other.”

“You think so?” Minhyun asked sheepishly.

 _There it is again_. Jonghyun thought as he saw how Minhyun’s ears had turned red after his comment. 

They were interrupted when Seongwu, who just finished the call, entered the room again. “My mom panicked because I wasn’t home when she arrived.” He chuckled.

“I guess that’s our cue to go home.” Minhyun said and walked to where Seongwu was. Before taking another step, Minhyun turned around to face Jonghyun. “Are you sure you’ll be fine alone?”

Jonghyun had the sudden urge to say no, but his body responded differently. Nodding, he motioned for the two to leave. “Don’t worry about me, I always camp in the library during exam week. You still have a practice tomorrow, right?”

Seongwu groaned at Jonghyun’s reminder. “Right, and it’ll take half of the day too.” 

“Don’t spend too much time here. You should rest too. You’ve spent almost four hours teaching us.” Minhyun reminded.

“I owe you my life, Jonghyun. I was confident in failing the midterms if it weren’t for you.” Seongwu said jokingly, but his eyes mirrored his gratefulness.

They bid their farewells when Seongwu received another message from his mom. It was not supposed to be a big deal, but the scene where the two left the room together had been etched on Jonghyun’s mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I first planned this fic, I knew I will make myself suffer by adding the slow burn and angst tags. And why is it always onge who cockblocks 2hyun? (tbh idk either and pls dont kill me bc onge is my bb too)
> 
> Anyways, I wasn't proud of this chapter but I hope you still like it 🤍


	4. Chapter 4

Numerous students filled the bustling campus even at nighttime, Minhyun observed as they passed by the buildings and walked towards the school gate. This situation is quite normal, especially with the upcoming school events and midterms for some of the students. What is unusual is that he’s on the way home with another student in tow.

“Jonghyun is a nice guy.” Seongwu started, loosening his necktie as they crossed the courtyard.

Minhyun snorted after hearing his comment, which earned him a curious look from the latter. “Funny how Jonghyun just said the same thing earlier.”

“Well, it’s not surprising that he was captivated by one of my many charms.” Seongwu concurred. “How did the two of you become friends, anyway? I mean, he seems like a goody two shoes.”

“Birds of the same feather flock together, I guess.” Minhyun answered and turned to look at Seongwu, who looked at him repulsively.

Suddenly, Minhyun halted his steps. “Now that you’ve asked about it, I just remembered that the first time I met Jonghyun, he also helped me.” 

Seongwu also stopped walking and waited for Minhyun to continue, peering at him curiously.

“I was begging one of my juniors to help me, but then Jonghyun came in like a knight in shining armor.” A smile crept its way on Minhyun’s face as he reminisced about the past. “We also walked together on the way home, even though that kid attempted to drive me away from dropping him off the bus stop.”

“He failed, didn’t he? Knowing how persistent you are.” 

“Pretty much.” Minhyun chuckled and resumed walking.

It didn’t take too long for them to reach the bus stop. They checked the bus schedule and Seongwu was pretty bummed that the bus that he has to take would arrive fifteen minutes later. Minhyun sat on the shed and leaned his head back as he closed his eyes, already tired from the day’s activities.

“I told you that you don’t have to drop me off.” Seongwu commented as he took the seat beside Minhyun. He scanned the man on his right, and fatigue was definitely evident on his face.

“And I told you that I want to.” Minhyun rebutted. He slowly opened his eyes and turned to Seongwu. “Plus, I enjoy your company.”

“Then you’ll suffer on your way to the subway since you don’t have me with you.” He joked. 

Minhyun closed his eyes again and took a deep breath. “It’s fine, I’m used to it anyway.”

The two of them just sat there, partly because they were drained for the day, and partly because the two of them felt comfortable enough in the silence that surrounded them. It was Seongwu who noticed the bus approaching several minutes later, and they stood up as it came to a stop.

Just before entering the bus, Seongwu turned back, pausing a bit before ruffling Minhyun’s hair. “Thank you for today, Minhyun.”

Minhyun didn’t know what came up to him, but he grabbed Seongwu’s hand from his hair. Slowly bringing his hand down, Minhyun’s thumb caressed the backside of Seongwu’s hand. “Your bus is waiting for you. Get home safely.”

Seongwu replied with a nod and a smile that Minhyun would remember for the rest of the night.

After watching the bus drive away, Minhyun walked back to the subway. Although he had to take the route alone, a huge smile had plastered itself on his face the whole time.

***

It had been a week since their midterms, and Jonghyun sighed in relief when the four said that they passed all of their subjects. With that done, the choir and the theatre club members had to attend the dry-runs after the midterms, which was the reason why they were excused for the following days. 

Just like the old times, Mingi was vocal on how much he missed his soulmate during lunchtimes. This information didn’t escape Dongho. To make up for it, he invited Mingi on a date after one of his practices. Outsiders were not allowed to watch the practices, but Dongho said that they could enter the auditorium after the director dismissed them.

“I told you I don’t want to go there. You can do it yourself.” Jonghyun said as he resisted Mingi, who was dragging him towards the auditorium.

“I’m scared to go alone! What if someone caught me there? I don’t want to get reprimanded, or worse, go to detention!” 

“So, you think that bringing me along with you would save you from the teachers?” Jonghyun asked, slowly withdrawing his arm from his friend’s grasp. “I thought Dongho said that it would be fine once practice is over?”

Mingi didn’t answer and grabbed Jonghyun’s arm back, who gave up and just let his friend drag him. They trudged through the hallways until they arrived in front of the auditorium. With the slightest gap on the door, Mingi peeked in. He immediately saw the members of the play seated on the stage, listening to a person—most likely the director of the musical—talking. When the director dismissed them, the members stood up and started cleaning up the stage. It was also Mingi’s cue to yank Jonghyun inside.

The two stood frozen in front of the door, still hesitant to move further into the auditorium. They had seen the auditorium a lot of times, but it was the first time that they saw the seats empty. Amused by the fact that the club members were able to perform in a huge hall, they didn’t notice someone jogging on their way.

“Mingi! Jonghyun! It’s been a while!” Aaron said as he approached the two. The upperclassman had been the public relations officer of the student council last year, so Jonghyun had the chance to talk to him several times as the class president. Oddly enough, Mingi and Aaron were close even though their personalities seem to clash most of the time. Jonghyun remembered that incident where Mingi asked for an English peer tutor, and it was Aaron who handled his friend.

“Aaron! I didn’t know you could act.” Mingi greeted as he slung his arm over the latter’s shoulder. “So what’s your role? A tree in the background?”

Aaron detached himself from Mingi and scowled. “Why do you underestimate me so much? I’m one of the antagonists, just so you know.”

“You look good.” Jonghyun commented as Aaron shifted his eyes on him. 

“I got a lesser workload this year.” He smiled. “After stepping down as a member of the student council, I also quit my job as a peer tutor. I was regretful at first, but it allowed me to focus on my hobbies and the college entrance examinations.”

Before the two could reply, Dongho swiftly ran to them and hugged Mingi from the back, who almost shrieked if not for Dongho’s hand covering his mouth immediately. After calming down, Mingi turned around and hugged his lover back.

It was a cute scene in general, but Aaron’s eyes went wide as he stared at the couple in shock. “Wait, are you guys dating?”

“Apparently, they’re soulmates.” Jonghyun supplied. 

He heard Aaron gasp from beside him before muttering, “Man, it must be hard for Dongho.”

The comment didn’t escape Mingi. It was him who broke the hug and immediately extended his arm to grab a fistful of Aaron’s hair. Abruptly, the senior dodged Mingi’s attack and hid behind Jonghyun. His efforts were in vain since Jonghyun’s petite body barely hid him, so he had no choice but to run around the seats, with a fuming Mingi trailing behind him.

Dongho’s eyes followed the fight before fixing his gaze at Jonghyun. “Minhyun is up there on the stage.” He stated. “Please collect him. He’s been wearing those medieval wigs for fun and he looks horrendous.”

Jonghyun’s eyes strayed from Dongho and moved to the stage. Although a lot of students were still loitering on stage, it was easy to spot Minhyun. If it was because he stood out so much with the wig, or because it became natural for him to seek Minhyun, Jonghyun wasn’t sure.

Minhyun was dancing weirdly while wearing the wig. As his eyes followed where Minhyun was facing, he noticed that Seongwu was also there— taking a video of the taller while laughing cheerfully.

He was not a good observer, but it’s obvious to anyone that the two were in a world of their own. 

_It stings_ , he thought as he watched the scene unfold in front of him. He initially wanted to greet Minhyun and even Seongwu, but he knew very well that he shouldn’t interrupt them.

Turning back to Dongho, he languidly shook his head. “No need. I have to go home right now anyway.” 

Dongho stared at him deeply, contemplating on saying something or not. Jonghyun beat him to it and softly punched his biceps. “Stop thinking about unnecessary things. You have a date with Mingi, right?”

“Yeah. But, are you sure you don’t want to greet Minhyun? You haven’t seen him for the entire day.”

“I don’t think I can handle him right now, especially with how hyperactive he is.” Jonghyun responded, chuckling as he pointed at Minhyun who is still doing weird dance movements. 

Just then, the cat and dog fight returned to where both he and Dongho were standing, panting as they caught their breaths.

“We can go now!” Mingi chirped and faced Dongho. “I got my revenge on my favorite senior.” He added sarcastically, sticking his tongue out on Aaron.

“Wow, I feel so honored to be your favorite senior.” Aaron, who was still rubbing the part of his head where Mingi yanked his hair, countered. 

Jonghyun and Dongho cackled as they watched the two banter in front of them. Dongho then took Mingi’s hand and squeezed it. “Alright, stop abusing Aaron, he’s still older than us.”

 _Good thing Mingi has Dongho_ , Jonghyun mused as he saw how Mingi behaved with Dongho’s words. It was definitely hard to tame a hyped Mingi, even to Jonghyun who had been with him since fourth grade.

As Dongho went backstage to grab his things, Jonghyun bid his goodbyes to Mingi and Aaron. The two persuaded him to stay a little bit more, but he reasoned that he was pretty tired. It was also partly because he does not want to risk getting caught by Minhyun and Seongwu. It’s not like the two made him uncomfortable, but it was his instinct that told him to avoid them unless he wanted to wound his feelings even more.

***

The first show happened two days after. Though the auditorium was usually packed during the premiere, Mingi and Jonghyun decided that it was better to watch on the first day than to wait for the crowd to decline on the following days. 

“Why do you look so sullen?” Mingi asked as they sat down, waiting for the play to start.

“Mingi, do you think there’s something between Minhyun and Seongwu?” He asked. 

Jonghyun had known for quite some time that he was feeling jealous every time the two were together. The issue had been bugging him for a while, but he doesn’t have the nerve to face it and dwell on it. More or less, Jonghyun was scared to address the issue since acknowledging it would mean that his sweet little affection wasn’t just a mere crush.

“They’re… friends?” Mingi said unsurely. “Well, it does look like Minhyun and Seongwu became close after the practices.”

“Don’t you think there’s something more?”

Mingi raised an eyebrow and looked at Jonghyun. “Is it just me or I can smell jealousy in the air?”

“It’s… not that.” Jonghyun denied feebly. “I mean, I think they both like each other, and I can’t root for them completely when I have this thing for the tall, dumb, big head.”

“So? It’s not like they’re officially dating or whatever.” Mingi argued. “Plus, why do you look down on yourself so much? I know you’re so introverted to the point that it’s irritating sometimes, but some guys and gals would definitely tap your non-existent ass.”

He was thankful that Mingi was there to hear him out all the time. At the same time, Jonghyun knew that his friend wouldn’t offer much of an advice. If Mingi had the guts to ask one of the popular guys on campus for a date, then Jonghyun had the same level of enthusiasm to study and avoid unnecessary human interactions. If he was in Jonghyun's shoes, Mingi would’ve just shrugged the issue off.

“Cheer up, buttercup. You still haven’t met your soulmate yet.” Mingi said and offered some nachos to his friend, who willingly took it.

It had been quite a while since he mulled over his soulmate. Just like before, he unknowingly touched his sweater in the area where his soulmark lies. 

_Someone is destined for me._ He thought as he tried to console himself, not letting his mood go downhill before the musical started.

It didn’t take long before the lights were dimmed. The two were immediately hooked with the story and before they knew it, the play was coming to its end. 

True to their words, the choir members only performed for a bit. It was a pity that Jonghyun was not able to hear Minhyun’s voice since the choir sang in chorus, but witnessing the way he carried himself onstage was enough.

The musical also gave light to their friends—mostly on Aaron and Seongwu. Their senior was usually polite and goofy, but he played his role of an antagonist splendidly. Seongwu’s character was similar to him, but the two still applauded him because there were no traces of nervousness on him every time he was onstage. 

After the cast did their final bow, the two stood up and headed to the backstage. Apparently, Mingi had asked Aaron beforehand if outsiders are allowed to visit them backstage. When they arrived, the cast were already in a huddle for a short meeting. They waited until the group dispersed, and it was Dongho who came towards them first, with Minhyun in tow.

“You did so well!” Mingi greeted as he enveloped his lover in a hug, which the latter returned passionately.

“You’re in a public area, tone it down.” Jonghyun warned his friends. He turned his attention to Minhyun, who was looking at him expectantly.

Jonghyun’s mind was struggling as he came up with a good compliment. The taller might appreciate everything that he says, but Jonghyun wanted to convey his words sincerely. “I’m not good at compliments, but I’m proud of you. You look great earlier.”

The warm words made Minhyun smile. He then immediately buried the smaller on his chest and patted his head. “Why are you so shy whenever you give compliments?”

Right at that moment, Seongwu came up to them while drinking his water. Jonghyun felt Minhyun grasp loosening, so he pulled away. What he didn’t expect was being engulfed by Seongwu, who started swaying him from side to side.

“Jonghyunnie! I didn’t know you were watching. How was my performance?” He asked excitedly.

Jonghyun chuckled at his friend’s actions. “You did really great, Seongwu. Your practices were worth it.”

Minhyun, who noticed that the two seemed more comfortable to each other than before, interjected. “I introduced you guys to each other but why do I feel like I’m being left out?”

“We don’t associate ourselves to losers. Right, Jonghyun?” Seongwu replied as he released Jonghyun, sticking his tongue out at Minhyun.

“What do we have here? I can’t believe some juniors have infiltrated the backstage.” Aaron greeted when he spotted the five. He was tackled by Mingi for appreciation and annoyance.

“I was supposed to congratulate you for once, but then you had to say that.” Mingi replied.

Aaron laughed heartily and patted Mingi and Jonghyun’s heads. “I was just joking. I’m glad that my favorite juniors came tonight.” He said sincerely.

Just then, the director announced a surprised dinner party by the high school coordinator. The famished performers hurriedly fixed their things and went out of the room. It was Mingi who urged the four to join their members.

“That’s free food right there! What are you still doing here?!” He said, pushing Dongho and Minhyun towards the door.

Regretfully, the four gathered their things and followed the director. Dongho paused a bit to remind his soulmate to message him when he got home, and reminded the two to take care.

***

Things were pretty calm for the next few months until the freshly graduated Aaron decided to hold a small party after the finals. True to his words, Aaron only invited the ones that he’s close with. Most of the performing arts members were there, as well as some from Aaron’s batch. 

Jonghyun spent most of his evening sitting on a bean bag near the stairwell, away from the chaos that was the truth or dare game that they were doing in the living room. That’s also where Minhyun found him, who just came out of the kitchen after grabbing some punch.

“What are you doing here?” Minhyun asked as he dragged another bean bag and placed it next to Jonghyun’s. 

Jonghyun scoffed as he closed the book that he got from Aaron’s bookshelf. “With the way you asked me that question, I really doubt our friendship sometimes.” He answered. They’ve been friends long enough for Minhyun to know that Jonghyun isn’t comfortable in a huge crowd. Mingi’s _"Jonghyun only has five friends, thank you for being the sixth one, Minhyun."_ was also a constant reminder on how introverted he was.

Minhyun chuckled as a reply. He sipped his punch and watched the scene unfolding in front of him. Most of the seniors were hyping each other up in a video game. “In a year, we’d be like this too.”

“Except we don’t have a nice house as a venue.” Jonghyun commented and shifted his eyes on Minhyun, and they both laughed at how realistic it was.

They just sat there, observing the people. It was when Minhyun stood up after he finished his punch that Jonghyun thought he would refill his cup or he got tired of Jonghyun’s silence. He was about to resume reading the book when he saw a hand in front of him. Looking up, he stared at Minhyun who was gazing at him. Minhyun’s eyes then lowered from Jonghyun and to his outstretched hand. 

Jonghyun was confused, but he grabbed Minhyun’s hand anyway. He led them to the backyard where a gazebo was lit up. “Why are we here?”

Minhyun didn’t reply. Instead, he dragged them further to the backyard, near the shrubs and a dog house. Suddenly, a dog came out of the dog house and sniffed them. After several moments, it jumped on Jonghyun, licking his face as he fell flat on his bum. 

“Someone told me that you like animals. I’d rather you spend your precious time with Noah than to sit on a bean bag until the party’s over.” Minhyun explained and smiled as Noah kept on licking Jonghyun. Half-amazed and half-worried, he tried to help Jonghyun back on his feet. 

With how fast the dog’s tail was wagging, it’s obvious that he wanted to play. Minhyun stepped closer to the dog house and untied Noah’s leash. 

“Wait—Wouldn’t Aaron get mad?” Jonghyun questioned.

Minhyun let go of the leash as he replied, “I asked Aaron’s permission beforehand. Don’t worry.”

Before Jonghyun could utter a reply, Noah had already bolted, lying on the grass at the other side of the yard. The two went towards Noah and rubbed his belly. 

The two of them didn’t notice the time while they were playing with Noah. The noises inside the house were just getting louder, but they were already done for the day. Noah—who didn’t seem tired at all—was still looking at them with hopeful eyes, but Minhyun grabbed his leash and led him back to the dog house. “Sorry Noah, we’d love to spend more time with you, but your brothers are old already.”

They both chuckled and laid on the grass, still recovering from the unexpected exercise that they did.

“Hey,” Minhyun uttered as he calmed down. “I think I know who my soulmate is.”

Absent-mindedly, Jonghyun’s fingers traced his soulmark, completely hidden by his jacket. “Who?” He hesitantly asked. 

Minhyun abruptly sat up, tilting his head to look at Jonghyun. “You know him well enough.”

Under the moonlight, Minhyun looked more ethereal. Jonghyun was not sure if the loud beating of his heart was due to Minhyun’s piercing gaze or the weight of his words.

Jonghyun rarely wished for anything, but he hoped that the theories were all wrong. He hoped that there would still be a chance that his soulmark wouldn’t remain black after this, and hoped that Minhyun would utter his name. 

_Please let it be me. Please._

“It’s Ong Seongwu.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, i'm sorry for my poor attempt in writing angst (and there's more to come lol). Also, i honestly did not know why i dared to write minhyun's pov for this chapter and ngl,, it was kinda awkward bc i was so used to writing jonghyun's haha
> 
> On the other hand, we got 95 line earlier and i miss aron sm so yay for some nuble content 💛
> 
> Oh, and i decided to link my [twitter](https://twitter.com/hwangst) here so u can scream at me there if u want (・∀・ )


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: angst, spicy angst(?), basically this chapter is 80% angst xD

Jonghyun barely went out after Aaron’s party. It was an easy thing for him to do since he preferred staying at home. The hard part though, was to avoid Hwang Minhyun. 

After revealing his soulmate, Jonghyun avoided Minhyun’s messages. He also avoided Mingi, just in case his friend would try to pry on the issue. All of his efforts seemed futile because the two immediately noticed the change. Still, he tried to reason that he’s pretty occupied in helping his family’s business for the whole summer.

Their last year in high school started quite stressful, primarily on Jonghyun’s case. He was elected as the student council president, which meant that he was obligated to oversee the school activities throughout the academic year. Nevertheless, his guilt and leadership antics would not forgive him if he rejected the position, so he hesitantly accepted it. 

What bummed Jonghyun more was when he had the knowledge that Minhyun and Seongwu were classmates. It seemed like they really are fated together, and Jonghyun cursed himself for not being completely happy for his friends.

Maybe it was nice to be away from the two since he was spared from their interactions, but he couldn’t completely escape them especially when others started gossiping about Minhyun and Seongwu’s blossoming relationship.

“So, I just saw Hwang Minhyun carrying a bouquet earlier.” Said someone from the back row.

“Oh! I saw him and Seongwu just now. I heard that Hwang guy is making his moves on Seongwu.” Minkyeung, one of Jonghyun’s classmates, supplied.

The students huddled together at the back, trying to find more information about the two. It is not surprising when students date during high school, but it’s definitely special when two attractive people date each other.

If Jonghyun was being honest, he was also curious about the two. Even so, he also didn’t want to dampen his mood even more by knowing that the two finally got together. In the end, Jonghyun grabbed his earphones from his bag and blasted some of his favorite songs, completely shutting down his world. 

***

The next time Jonghyun met Minhyun was during one of Dongho’s games. Although Jonghyun tried to reject Mingi’s offer, the other said that Dongho had already booked tickets for them, so he had no choice but to attend. What he didn’t expect was for Minhyun to be there, but the latter reasoned that he wouldn’t miss his friend’s game.

It was definitely awkward at first—mostly on Jonghyun’s part—since Minhyun seemed nonchalant about it and talked to him the same way. As the game went by, Jonghyun felt the need to try to talk to Minhyun properly and stop giving him half-assed replies.

“So, are you the science club president now?” Jonghyun asked. 

Minhyun, who was engrossed in the match after Dongho’s team just scored a point, was startled by Jonghyun’s sudden question. “Actually, I may have changed clubs this year.” He answered, smiling bashfully. 

“What?” 

“I joined the photography club. Seongwu was also there, and he was really passionate about it.” He elaborated. “Quite frankly, I had minimal interest in photography before, but after the orientation, I’m starting to get into it.”

“Oh.” Jonghyun uttered, shifting his gaze from Minhyun and to the game in front of him. His mind was in a state of confusion, since he knew that Minhyun treasured the science club for quite a while. Him transferring clubs was the last thing that he would expect from the taller.

It was after several minutes when Jonghyun spoke again. As the silence enveloped them, he was contemplating on asking the question that has been bugging him for a while.

“Are you two… a thing now?” He asked, looking at his friend pensively.

A shy smile bloomed across Minhyun's face as he nodded. He then scratched his nape and averted his eyes. “Sorry if I haven’t shared the news to you earlier.”

Jonghyun wasn’t shocked by the revelation. In fact, he had expected it because of the rumors. Minhyun’s previous answer also made it glaringly obvious already, but he wanted the confirmation to come out from Minhyun’s mouth. Still, it didn’t hurt any less.

_I must be a masochist._ He thought later that night. He was happy for the two, really, but he didn’t expect the gravity of his feelings towards Minhyun. 

After the game, he tried distracting himself with playing games and studying, but to no avail, his mind kept on repeating Minhyun’s words earlier. He remembered the taller’s face clearly, and it reminded him of how Mingi would look like if someone mentioned Dongho. Unknowingly, a tear had suddenly rolled down his face and smeared his notebook. 

He doesn’t understand why his heart would hurt so much—to the point that he was crying—when he claimed that it was all a mere infatuation. He knew that Minhyun wasn’t his soulmate and he has a soulmate of his own, so it does not make any sense as to why fate had to make him fall for someone who’s completely unattainable.

***

The annual seniors’ ball was a pain in the ass, if Jonghyun was being honest. The student council had to cover the proposal for this year’s theme, choose and book a hotel, talk to the catering services, and do the budgeting. Even the small details such as the invitations were also assigned to them. Although the other members of the student council were ready to help, they still relied heavily on Jonghyun.

This led to him spending most of his break times and after class hours inside the student council’s lounge. Though the room was a bit messy and cramped, the main reason why he chose to stay there was because there were no major distractions. 

Another reason why he’s usually holed up inside the room was because of Minhyun. Even though he doesn’t want to admit that he’s avoiding the man, he thought that it would be better for the both of them if they see each other less, especially with Jonghyun’s traitorous heart.

He was too absorbed in his laptop to notice that someone had knocked on the door and entered the student council’s lounge. It became a habit for the student council members to just enter the room without saying a word, so he was not bothered by the intruder at first.

It was a cough that forced Jonghyun to tear his eyes away from the screen and look up. His gaze was met by Minhyun, who looked nothing but weary. The said guy plopped down on the empty side of the couch, just beside Jonghyun.

“I missed you.” Minhyun uttered impassively, as if it did not do anything to Jonghyun’s heart. “If I didn’t know you were busy with your student council shenanigans, I would have thought that you were avoiding me.”

It might have been both a blessing and a curse that one of Minhyun’s flaws is being dense. Instead of replying, Jonghyun played it safe and asked a question instead. “Are you coming to the seniors’ ball?” 

Minhyun moved closer to Jonghyun, checking the spreadsheet that Jonghyun has been working on for days. “Of course. Seongwu and the crew are performing.” Minhyun replied.

“Ah, right.” Jonghyun belatedly remembered that some of the performing arts members are preparing a dance performance.

When Jonghyun didn’t reply afterwards, Minhyun teared his eyes away from the laptop and stared at his friend. “So, who’s your date? Mingi?”

“God, no!” Jonghyun exclaimed and stopped typing, completely repulsed by the idea. “He’ll torture me the entire time. Dongho said that he will go straight to the hotel after their game.”

Minhyun chuckled as he imagined the couple. “Who is it then? Daniel? Taeyong?”

Jonghyun sighed. “Actually, I was planning to skip the ball.”

Minhyun looked at him incredulously. “Are you joking?” And as he noticed the lack of response from the latter, he realized that Jonghyun was serious. “You’re the president! You should be there!”

“They won’t need me there, Minhyun.” Jonghyun uttered and resumed typing. “I already planned the whole thing. If there are problems, Taeyong and the others would be there to help.”

“I was not referring to you doing your job there as the president.” Minhyun grasped Jonghyun’s wrist to grab his attention. “You said it yourself, you planned the whole thing. You deserve to be there and enjoy it.”

Startled by the sudden action, Jonghyun avoided Minhyun’s piercing gaze and slowly pried the latter’s hand. “I—I’ll see.”

“Hey, if you need someone with you, just stick with me and Seongwu.” Minhyun offered.

Jonghyun thought that it was not a good idea. Well, at least not before he could completely get rid of his feelings. Although joining the two would be at the last of his options, he still nodded so that he wouldn’t upset his friend.

The next hour passed by in silence, with Jonghyun’s occasional typing as the only source of noise. He tried asking Minhyun if he was about to go home, but the latter just shrugged and closed his eyes, leaning his head on Jonghyun.

“Seongwu is currently doing his research paper with his groupmates, so I have some time to kill before we go home.” Minhyun said. “I’ll take a nap for a while.”

Jonghyun kept mum and just let the taller rest on his shoulder. It baffled him on how he could feel both happy and sad at the same time. His heart ached after hearing Minhyun’s words—especially since it sounded like he visited him just because he had some free time—yet, he could also feel the butterflies on his stomach because Minhyun was so close to him.

With Minhyun being evidently bigger than Jonghyun, it wasn’t long before his right arm became numb. If it was Mingi or someone else, Jonghyun had already pushed them away, but he couldn’t do that to Minhyun. As he noticed the time, he continued the spreadsheet that he was working on while trying his best to dismiss the giant on his right.

Fortunately and unfortunately, Minhyun’s phone buzzed after twenty minutes. The taller lifted his head from Jonghyun’s shoulder as he groggily grabbed his phone, answering Seongwu’s call. Jonghyun was also close to waking Minhyun up, or at least shift his body a bit, so the call also saved his arm. Nevertheless, he knew that he’d have to treasure that moment because there wouldn’t be anything like that again, especially in the future.

“I gotta go. Seongwu’s done with his group meeting.” Minhyun said after his call with Seongwu. He stood up and grabbed his bag.

Just before he could completely leave the room, he turned back and looked at Jonghyun with hopeful eyes. “I’m hoping to see you at the ball.”

And then he’s gone. 

***

It was one of those days where Jonghyun just wanted to lie in bed all day. Drained from the all-nighters that he pulled for the past few days, he would trade anything for more sleep. It was due to Mingi’s incessant calls—reminding him to attend the ball or _“I will steal one of your games, mark my words.”_ —that he was forced to get out of the bed.

It didn’t take long for him to prepare before Mingi dropped by his house to check up on him. Jonghyun was sporting a grey tuxedo, a white dress shirt underneath, and a navy blue cravat that Mingi gave him to wear. Meanwhile, the latter was wearing a white pinstripe suit adorned with a black tie and a topaz cufflink that his mom gave him.

They arrived an hour and a half before the call time. Jonghyun insisted on arriving before the other students so he could do a final check-up on the place, even if Mingi thought it was unnecessary. Jonghyun reasoned that Taeyong, their batchmate who is also the treasurer of the student council, was not confident when he examined the place beforehand.

It was not long before the students had started filling the place. Mingi was already on his seat, reserving the seats beside him for Dongho and Jonghyun. On the other hand, Jonghyun was standing near the sound system with Taeyong, talking to the DJ.

Mingi’s eyes were glued on the main door of the hall. The students were entering hand in hand with their dates. Mingi recognized most of them, but he only reacted when he spotted two tall men entering the door.

Minhyun, who was wearing a maroon velvet suit, met Mingi’s eyes as the latter beckoned them to his direction. Not long after, Seongwu also recognized Mingi and tugged Minhyun’s hand as they came closer.

“You guys look amazing!” Mingi commented as he motioned for the two to take their seats.

“You must say so yourself.” Seongwu replied and hugged the smaller.

Minhyun greeted Mingi with a fist bump. He then scanned the tables and noticed that the seats on Mingi’s table were still unoccupied. “Why are you alone?”

Mingi retracted from Seongwu’s hug and faced Minhyun. “Oh! Dongho still has a match going on, so I came here with Jonghyunnie.”

At the mention of his name, Minhyun’s eyes went wide. “Jonghyun is here?”

Instead of replying, Mingi pointed to where Jonghyun was, currently occupied by something on the DJ's laptop. “I can’t believe I had to threaten him with his favorite game just so he would attend this ball.”

Seongwu gleamed when he sighted the smaller, and was about to dash to where Jonghyun was when Minhyun stopped him. “Let’s greet him later, I think he’s in his _student council president_ mode right now.”

Mingi guffawed as he commented on how spot-on Minhyun’s comment was. “See how scrunched his face is right now? That only comes out when he’s doing his duties as the president.”

Convinced by the two, Seongwu halted his movements and the three of them took their seats, waiting for the others to arrive.

***

“Good thing you saved the songs.” Jonghyun said while patting Taeyong’s back.

The two were surprised when the DJ informed them that the playlist for the ball was missing on the laptop. Fortunately, Taeyong brought his hard drive and told Jonghyun that he saved the songs beforehand.

After fixing their dilemma, Jonghyun headed back to their table, but was stunned when he noticed that Mingi was not alone. Seongwu and Minhyun look dashing in their suits, and Jonghyun felt intimidated to just even stand beside them.

He was planning to turn back and find Taeyong—a poor attempt to postpone their eventual meeting—but his oh-so-good friend waved his hand on him, which grabbed both Minhyun and Seongwu’s attention.

Unwillingly, he made his way towards the three, opening his arms to Seongwu who immediately hugged him. “You look so good!”

“And so do you.” Jonghyun returned.

“I’m glad you came.” Minhyun said after the two separated. Jonghyun thought that the man was attractive enough when he saw him from afar, but he was definitely wrong. His heart won’t stop beating frantically as he stared at Minhyun up close.

Before losing his mind, Jonghyun turned around and pointed at Mingi, who was casually sipping his orange juice and avoiding his gaze. “Blame that person right there. He really had the audacity to threaten me with games.”

“Excuse me, I was doing you a favor.” Mingi rebutted and rolled his eyes. 

Jonghyun sighed as he stared at his friend with disbelief. He could also hear the couple beside him laughing.

_It’s going to be a long night._

***

It was not long before the clock hit six o’ clock. The emcees instructed the students to settle down and take their respective seats as they will start with the program.

Their high school coordinator gave the introductory speech. It was heart-warming, especially when he said that their batch was one of the best ones so far. Even though some of the students from their batch were troublemakers, it was evident that he genuinely said those words.

“Thank you for that inspiring message, Mr. Lee.” Nayoung, one of the emcees for that night, said after their coordinator had finished his speech. 

“Since the mood has been set up like this, why don’t we continue with another speech?” Seungcheol proposed, eyeing his partner with a meaningful gaze. 

Jonghyun should have seen it coming. He knew that Seungcheol’s _accidental_ glance towards their direction was far from an accident. “We would like to invite our dearest student council president on stage to give us a short message for this wonderful evening.”

Loud cheers erupted from the audience, excited to hear what their beloved president has to say. Scrunching his brows, Jonghyun mouthed a small _“What?”_ back to Seungcheol. Unfortunately, Minhyun and Mingi grabbed his wrist and forced him to stand up even before he could completely register what was going on. He was left with no choice but to walk towards the stage, muttering a silent but sarcastic _“Thanks.”_ when Seungcheol passed the microphone.

“Uhm… I was not informed that I have to deliver a speech.” He blabbered as his hands fidget around the microphone. In the corner of his eyes, he can see his traitor of a best friend who was grinning from ear to ear.

“This is our last year together. We may have had our ups and downs during our high school days, but I guess those situations made this chapter of our lives more meaningful.” He paused as he scanned the room, meeting the eyes of his batchmates, both known and unknown to him. “We still have a lot ahead of us—tons of projects and schoolworks, finals, university applications—but I hope that we’ll make this night as memorable as possible.” 

“This night is dedicated to us, so let’s make the best out of it.” He ended his short speech as his batchmates applauded him. As he passed the microphone back, he saw Mingi filming him and shouting _“That’s my best friend!”_ , as if he needed more reason to be embarrassed.

“Sometimes I really find it hard to believe that I’m friends with the student council president.” Mingi commented as soon as he arrived back to his seat. Seongwu, who was sitting on his left, patted his back for doing a great job.

“It’s not like I have a choice. Besides, what was that speech? I don’t even know what I said.” Jonghyun exclaimed as he ducked his head in shame.

The three attempted to cheer him up, saying that he did well for an impromptu speech. Fortunately, the emcees moved on to the next part of the program and they had to play some games. For someone who felt embarrassed during his speech, Jonghyun seemed like a different person when they were doing the games. Mingi, Minhyun, and Seongwu barely did anything and somehow their table still won because of Jonghyun.

It was an hour and a half later when the emcees announced dinner. As they were eating and watching the videos that the students created, Dongho arrived and silently made his way towards their table. 

“Sorry I’m late.” He said as he grabbed the seat beside Mingi. “What did I miss?”

Mingi shrugged as he focused on his food, but not before passing a plate that he reserved beforehand to his boyfriend. “Nothing much. Jonghyun had to deliver a cringey speech and Minhyun still sucks at games.”

“Hey, we won two games!” Minhyun refuted. 

Mingi rolled his eyes after hearing the poor guy’s attempt to defend himself. The four focused back on their food as Minhyun rambled on how he played a vital role during charades. 

“Sorry babe, but you really do suck at games.” Seongwu commented to shut his boyfriend up. Minhyun, who was expecting Seongwu to at least cheer him up, looked at him with betrayal evident in his eyes. Mingi, Dongho, and Jonghyun burst out laughing as they watched the scene unfold in front of them.

***

It was after the dinner and the announcement of the night’s king and queen when the free dance started. Upbeat songs were played at first, prompting the dance troupe and performing arts members to hype up the students’ moods. Out of nowhere, Mingi entered the dance floor and suddenly turned the whole atmosphere into a whole new level. It was safe to say that Jonghyun’s best friend, who is not even a part of the dance troupe, outlasted all of the club members’ energy.

After the people were pretty much drained, the slow dance started. It was Jonghyun’s cue to return to his seat, but it also urged the couples to fill the dance floor.

Jonghyun brought up his phone to capture Mingi and Dongho, which he intended to use for bribing Mingi later. He immediately saw Mingi pouting at Dongho, while the latter is too busy looking back at his boyfriend lovingly. The lovebirds are probably teasing each other, and it was obvious that Dongho is winning this time.

He originally planned to solely focus on the two, but he caught the sight of Minhyun in his periphery. Unknowingly, his attention was captured by the taller, who was dancing with Seongwu.

They were laughing as usual. It’s the same scenario that Jonghyun witnesses everytime he sees the two. But compared from before, the two seemed more intimate right at that moment. Jonghyun couldn’t pinpoint the reason behind it—it might be due to the song, the dimmed lights, the fact that it’s a day where they’re allowed to interact freely, or simply because they are in love.

Jonghyun is genuinely happy for his friends, and he couldn’t wait for his feelings to finally vanish just so he could interact with the two without malice and guilt.

Yet as the song reached its finality, so did the beating of Jonghyun’s heart.

He knew he shouldn’t look to save himself and to give the moment to the couple, but he could not tear his eyes away as the scene unfolds in front of him.

Minhyun's arms were wrapped on Seongwu’s waist, who looped his arms on Minhyun’s neck in return. From time to time, Minhyun would lean closer to Seongwu to whisper something.

Right before the song ends, he placed his lips on top of Seongwu’s, who closed his eyes and tugged Minhyun just a tiny bit closer.

The sound of the bass should be deafening, but Jonghyun did not know why he clearly heard his heart shattering.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When i chose my username and when i said there's more angst to come, i meant business xD i'm not sure if the angst is effective though, but i still pushed through with this chapter haha
> 
> I've been busy with university lately so updates might be slow for the next few weeks (or months). I finished writing the next two chapters but i still have to make a concrete plan for the upcoming chapters so i'm delaying it welp
> 
> Anyways, you can talk to me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/hwangst) & [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/hwangst) ヽ(´▽｀)ノ
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!


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